Not Every Soul

Disclaimer: Characters and Premise are borrowed from the show "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer."

"And this would be the same woman that you didn't notice was in your bedroom, every night, for like three weeks straight?"

I wince, even for Cordelia that was tactless. I know she cares for Angel so I have to believe that the implications of Darla's actions haven't occurred to her yet.

I'd say something to her, except I'm not sure that Angel would appreciate it and he's the one I'm worried about.

After confronting Darla and finding out that his dreams were more than just dreams Angel finally admitted that something was wrong with him, that his sleep patterns of late were anything but natural. It shouldn't have been possible for Angel to have slept through Darla's visits; vampires are notoriously light sleepers, as many an unfortunate would-be vampire hunter has learned.

First we checked for spells, when that didn't pan-out I checked him for evidence that she'd drugged him. Darla hadn't been sparing in her use of Calynthia powder, Angel's blood was very nearly saturated with the stuff. Thankfully there are ways around the worst of with-drawl for a vampire. We drained his blood and with it most of the toxins Darla had introduced into his system.

Now, Angel's problems with Darla are based on their history rather than on chemicals. All right, that's not a comforting thought after all. Angel's current obsession with her can't be cured by a simple transfusion.

Their history is long and involved; there won't be a simple way out of this. Darla made Angel. Between typical vampires that would mean she owned him, but Angelus' family was hardly a normal one, even by a vampire's standards. Legend has it he persuaded Darla to choose him over her own sire before he was even a decade old.

As a Watcher I had been taught that vampires interacted with one another in a manner reminiscent of wolves, that within a group there was always a distinct pack order. A fledgling shouldn't have been able to challenge an ancient Master and walk away but Angelus did it.

I suppose that Angelus' little group could be considered the exception that proves the rule. Angelus not only challenged the Master, he took Darla from her Sire and usurped much of her control of him, becoming the head of a pack, which included his sire. Angelus' relationship with Drucillia was much closer to the norm, but even with her there were oddities, Spike primarily. Angelus' not only permitted her to make her own child, but allowed that child to become a rival for Drucillia's affections.

To put it succinctly, the foursome weren't your usual vampires. Rather than the normal pack structure or Sire-Child pairs they were closer to equals, lovers, partners in the hunt and in mayhem. Between them it wasn't simply the play of Dominance and submission, it was much more complicated, strangely enough, more human.

Angel and Darla's lives were entwined for a hundred and fifty years. And from what Angel has said even his curse couldn't cause a clean break between them. After regaining his soul, he still turned to her for help. I can only assume he didn't receive it since the Watcher's diaries report Angelus arrived in this country alone.

Then, of course, the ultimate complication in their relationship occurred four years ago when Angel killed Darla for Buffy. It's not a situation that many people or vampires for that matter can claim to have experience in dealing with. But Wolfram and Hart brought Darla back, as a human, and of all the ways Angel could have reacted to this development he had to start identifying with her.

She drugged him; for all intents and purposes raped him on more than one occasion and Angel decides he wants to save her. To be there for her, like he wishes someone had been there for him. Only Darla doesn't seem to be reacting to having a soul again like Angel did, she's still a remorseless killer. But what do I know? Maybe Angel didn't stop killing or start feeling bad about his past right away. Cordelia seemed insulted when Angel referred to himself as being alone, but it was the truth for a very long time. When he arrived in Sunnydale, Angel had already had a soul for a century. He learned to deal with that alone, the fact that he has friends now doesn't change that he went through that alone. That's what he wants to protect Darla from.

Angel thinks he can save her from that, maybe he's right. He was right about Faith, I thought she was beyond help, but Angel got her on the path to redemption. Perhaps he's right about Darla as well. I hope he's right, but I have a bad feeling about this. Angel's getting too involved in this, he's lost all perspective. He's invested too much of himself in saving Darla.

Some people can't be saved because they don't want to be saved. I've seen no indications that Darla wants redemption, because of that Angel will fail. I'm afraid of what that will do to him.

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